The following post is a repost from the Tenderlogic archives. As we kick off into summer, I encourage you to think about what kinds of activities, what kinds of relationships, and what kinds of memories you want from this glorious season!
The influential spiritual leader G.I. Gurdjieff wrote an incredible book entitled Meetings with Remarkable Men, based on his journeys and meetings with – as you may imagine – remarkable men.
The book’s combination of wisdom, wit, mystery & adventure was the perfect mix for my teenage imagination. The tales of deserts, songs, dances, and sacred knowledge sparked a fire in my veins.
I wanted to meet these people for myself! Not necessarily the characters in the book of course, but the people who could teach me how to live my life the way these extraordinary men did. With daring, clarity, and fearless truth.
I wanted to sit around campfires and study the stars, or eat Medjool dates in tents in the Saharan desert. I wanted to learn about real life, about the world that lay beyond the English grammar and chemistry classes I was stuck in at school.
I find this kind of desire to be universal. We all thirst for true knowledge (knowledge gained through life experiences), because in seeking it we feel alive and connected to life. We get to grow through our own mistakes and passions, and fine tune our discernment skills.
There is also something to be said for the need to be in the presence of a remarkable being. I often asked my students, “Would you rather read all the teachings given by Jesus the Christ, Buddha or Lao Tzu, or sit with one of them for an hour or so?”
Always, the answer was to sit with them – even if they never spoke a word.
Great teachers are like that.We want to be around them, and learn from their very presence. We move to them like a moth to the flame, eager, hungry, and ready to give it our all.
And it is here, at a such juncture, that a great teacher really distinguishes themselves. They will remind you, very gently that you have forgotten something very vital to your being, which is…
Thou art that! You. Are. The. L I G H T. The flame that you seek. They bring it back to you.
Imagine you had the chance to spend one hour with the teacher of your choice. Who would you choose, and what would you ask them?
We don’t always need to cross oceans or wait for “Great Opportunities” to find our most influential teachers. They are all around us, in many forms. Your child’s questions, for example. Or a friend’s compassion, or your dog’s playfulness. Look with your heart. Be willing to experience something extraordinary in the presence of something that may seem quite ordinary. What you will find will be nothing short of… remarkable.
Make a list of your teachers who have influenced your life. What have you learned from them? Can you identify a pattern/s to your seeking? What are they?
Have you found what you were looking for? Where are you going now? Can you teach what you have learned?
Onward!
PS – my dreams now include traveling to the Gobi Desert in Mongolia to discover treasures of forgotten civilizations. I love the songs and the horse culture of the Mongolian people.
Have a listen to some Mongolian throat singers by clicking here!